Band saws are used for a broad range of range of cutting tasks, for example dimensioning rough lumber or cutting intricate and delicate shapes. Band saws include a motor configured to drive a circular band saw blade in a continuous loop through the object being cut. The band saw blade is a continuous loop of flexible metal with cutting teeth on one edge.
FIG. 10 illustrates a top view of a portion of a typical band saw blade 20. The band saw blade 20 is configured to travel in direction 21, and includes a plurality of teeth, including a first tooth 22, a second tooth 24, and a third tooth 26 shown in FIG. 10. The first tooth 22 is aligned with the center 28 of the saw blade, while the second and third teeth 24, 26 are offset from the center 28 of the saw blade. The displacement of each band saw tooth 24, 26 from the center 28 of the blade is known as the “set” of the tooth. FIG. 11 illustrates the set 32 of the saw tooth 26 in detail. This displacement provides clearance for the blade body to pass through the object being cut and aids in the removal of the waste material from the saw blade 20. The opposing offset of teeth 24, 26 provides equal clearance and dynamic forces on each side of the saw blade 20 as it passes thru the material to be cut and aids the blade in tracking in a straight line through the cut.
Increasing the set of a tooth increases the amount of material removed by the tooth, while reducing the set of a blade tooth reduces the material removed by the tooth. A precise set is desirable since a band saw blade with too much set on each cutting tooth removes more material than necessary, requires more power to drive, and will dull more quickly. Conversely, a blade with too little set will bind and burn in the saw cut kerf.
Over time, the saw blade 20 dulls due to normal wear. The blade 20 must therefore be sharpened periodically to maintain its cutting efficacy. Sharpening is typically performed by grinding off a portion of the tip off the tooth such that a sharp edge remains. FIG. 11 depicts, not to scale, a portion 30 of the saw tooth 26 removed during sharpening. As can be seen, due to the sharpening of the saw tooth 26, the initial set displacement 32 is reduced to a smaller set displacement 34. As a result, after sharpening the saw blade 20, the teeth of the saw blade must be re-set so that the offset of the teeth remains at the desired set position.
After sharpening, therefore, the saw blade must be removed from the sharpener and moved to a setting apparatus. The saw blade is clamped into the separate setting apparatus and the teeth of the saw blade are re-set to the desired offset position. The sharpener and the setting apparatus both require space in the shop. Moreover, removing the saw blade from the sharpener, moving the blade to the setting apparatus, and then clamping the saw blade in the setting apparatus is time consuming for the user performing the maintenance.
What is needed, therefore, is a band saw sharpening and setting assembly having a reduced footprint and that enables more efficient sharpening and setting of a band saw blade.